When Michael Hussey retired from Test cricket in January 2013, he was tasked with picking a successor to lead the team song — and to the surprise of many, he chose Nathan Lyon.
“He’s a man of great character,” Hussey explained at the time.
“He plays the game for the right reasons and understands and respects the fabric of the baggy green cap.
“That’s what I want to come through from him when he leads the team songs in the future.
“The people before me certainly have had great character so I wanted to look for those sort of traits in the next song master.”
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Lyon, who only had 19 Test caps to his name, was coming off an underwhelming home summer, with speculation brewing about his future in the Test team — yet Hussey had no hesitation handing the 25-year-old spinner a central role within the team’s culture.
In the decade since, Lyon has belted ‘Under The Southern Cross I Stand’ 54 times, cementing his status as the heart and soul of the Australian cricket team. With 495 Test scalps to his name, the 35-year-old is on the verge of becoming just the eighth cricketer to reach the 500-wicket milestone, which he could feasibly achieve in London next week.
But, perhaps more impressively, this week’s Ashes contest at Lord’s marks his 100th consecutive Test appearance, becoming the sixth cricketer in history to achieve the rare feat.
Since he was recalled ahead of the 2013 Ashes Test at Old Trafford, Lyon has not missed a single Test match — while teammates have found themselves on the outer due to form, injury or conditions, the GOAT hasn’t budged from the starting XI in nearly ten years.
Most consecutive Tests for a team
159 — Alastair Cook (ENG)
153 — Allan Border (AUS)
107 — Mark Waugh (AUS)
106 — Sunil Gavaskar (IND)
101 — Brendon McCullum (NZ)
99 — Nathan Lyon (AUS)
No other specialist bowler has come close to the milestone — Indian captain Anil Kumble is second with 60 consecutive Tests — highlighting Lyon’s versatility and longevity within the Australian set-up.
Despite being less susceptible to injury, spinners are not immune to facing the axe — earlier this month, India’s Ravichandran Ashwin, the world’s No. 1 Test bowler, was dropped for the World Test Championship final due to England’s seam-friendly conditions.
Yet, regardless of whether Australia plays in the United Kingdom or the subcontinent, Lyon’s name is one of the first jotted onto the team sheet.
“It is pretty amazing when you sit back and look at the names who have been able to take 500 Test wickets,” Lyon told ESPNcricinfolast month.
“I know I’ve been very fortunate and I’m grateful for my journey so far. It has been amazing, and if I’m able to tick that little box over the Ashes, it would be very special.
“If I start looking at what I’ve been able to achieve, the Tests and the series that we’ve won, I’ll feel like the end can sneak up on you quite quickly. I still feel I’ve got a lot of cricket left in me and I know personally, I want to tick off some big goals in the many years to come. I’ll definitely look back at it when I do call stumps, but that’s not for a while yet.”
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Lyon continues to refine his craft and finetune his reliable stock ball — last week, his Test bowling average dipped under 31 for the first time since January 2013.
He has no plans to retire, refusing to accept the 2023 Ashes will be his final Test tour of England.
The off-spinner probably won’t surpass the late Shane Warne’s 708-wicket tally, but he has expressed his desire to have one final crack at India in 2027.
“There is no line in the sand. I am not saying I want to get so many wickets and then be calling it quits,” Lyon told AAP last month.
“It is still about me trying to get better each day, learning and really enjoying the game.”
“You can never be satisfied because you will never conquer this game,” he continued.
“I have never met anyone who can conquer the game of cricket. I definitely won’t conquer it, but I am going to give it my best to learn each and every day and try and get better.
“You learn from your mistakes throughout your journey and you find a way to get better.”
The second Ashes Test between England and Australia gets underway at Lord’s on Wednesday.
